Snape's Inner Charm
by Lindsey2
Summary: There’s nothing like a cheering charm to brighten up a miserable day… RLNT Post OoTP, including HBP spoilers.


**Snape's**** Inner Charm**.

**Shipping – Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks – the odd couple, but what an adorable one!**

**Spoilers – Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince. Pretty much the whole Harry Potter series in general!**

**Summary – There's nothing like a cheering charm to brighten up a miserable day… RLNT Post OoTP, including HBP spoilers.**

"Well, that was tough," Tonks said wearily, dropping her cloak over a chair in the basement kitchen. She collapsed heavily in the seat.

Remus nodded slowly and sat opposite her.

"I still can't believe he's gone." Tonks continued, her lips trembling slightly.

Remus reached for Tonks' hands and clasped them gently. "I know." He said quietly.

"I mean, it's just so strange to me to have a memorial service without his body," Tonks rambled on. She looked earnestly at Remus. "Don't you think, deep down, that Sirius could still be alive?"

Remus sighed and looked at her sadly. "You know I wish that could be true but-but he fell through the Veil, Nymphadora."

"I know." Tonka muttered, for once ignoring Remus' use of her first name.

"He's still here with us. Inside us." Remus whispered, smiling at her reassuringly. "He'll still be looking over his little cousin."

"And his best friend." Tonks said back, grinning.

"Maybe." Remus let go of Tonks' hands and stood up, pacing around the room a little. He knew that he hadn't truly been Sirius' best friend. That title had rightfully belonged to James, Sirius' mutant personality clone. He chuckled to himself.

"What?" Tonks asked, looking at him in enjoyment.

Remus grinned down at Tonks, whose usual bubble-gum pink hair had taken on shades of blue, obviously reflecting her mood.

"Oh nothing, really… I was thinking that Sirius and James were a lot alike. They were best friends."

Tonks looked knowingly at Remus. "They cared about you too."

"I know that. It's just I didn't have quite the same closeness with them as they did with each other." Remus sat back down and looked Tonks in the eye. "I'm certain that James thought I was the spy just as much as Sirius did."

"It was dark times Remus," Tonks reminded him. "Everyone was suspicious of everybody. Even you thought _they _were the spies."

"Yes, the only wizard who escaped suspicion was the real traitor." Remus said angrily. "I just wish I had watched Peter. He should have been caught out months before. If I hadn't been so blind, maybe Harry would still have his family around him."

Tonks leaned across the table and shook the front of Remus' robes roughly. "How many times do we have to have this conversation?" she demanded, "there was nothing you could have done. Even _Dumbledore_ didn't consider Peter as a threat! Peter would have found a way to tell You-Know-Who whether you exposed him or not!"

"I know but…I still feel like I've let people down," Remus said, his voice breaking.

Tonks leaned her forehead against his. "You haven't let _me_ down yet." She whispered. She leaned her head back a few millimetres and met his eyes. "I don't think you ever could."

Remus swallowed nervously. He'd had moments like this with Tonks before. Since he had first met Tonks, he'd felt a true bond with her that he hadn't felt with any other witch for many years. He didn't know how to handle it though. He'd almost fell in love with Lily once and that had been painful because he knew he could never have her. Now, here was this beautiful, wonderful witch who _did _want him but he was too scared to say anything again, knowing she was out of his league in so many ways.

Tonks seemed to read his uncertainties and she sat back in her seat. "We've had a horrible, depressing morning." She announced, "I think we need to liven ourselves up a bit."

"What do you suggest?" Remus asked, smiling slightly.

Tonks grinned and pulled out her wand, "how about a cheering charm?"

"Oooh, I can't remember the last time I used that one." Remus pulled out his wand too.

"Sniggerlisis," Tonks muttered, pointing her wand at Remus.

"Sniggerlisis," Remus repeated, pointing his wand at Tonks.

They grinned at each other.

"Now we need to think of something to make us laugh." Tonks murmured.

Remus chuckled. "We have to _think_ of something to make us a laugh!"

Tonks giggled. "We must be getting old. It used to be easier than this."

"You're not as old as I am!"

"That's true!"

They made eye contact again and burst into giggles.

"It could be worst," Tonks said after a few minutes, wiping her eyes. "You could look like Severus. Talk about letting yourself go!"

Remus laughed loudly. "He's had the same hairstyle since the 70's, did you know that?"

"_No_, really? Merlin's beard! I think I need to cast a few charms on him for a bit." Tonks grinned cheekily and eyed her wand hungrily.

"If you want tips on what to do to Severus, I'd ask Neville Longbottom." Remus advised with a smirk. "His boggart is a sight to be seen."

Tonks gazed at Remus. "Ooh, you look good when you smirk!" she exclaimed, giggling again.

Remus curved his lips suggestively. "As good as Snape's?" he asked seriously.

Tonks widened her eyes in mock-horror. "Oh, _no_. Never as good as his! The mysteriousness of it, with that hooked nose and the haunted eyes that just _stare _at you! His smirk is his inner charm!"

She got up from her chair and started howling with laughter. Remus stood up too and started to dance her around.

"Hey, I can look scary too! Do you reckon he'd let me borrow his black robes?"

"I doubt it." Tonks eyed him up and down. She widened her eyes. "Hey, why don't you just dress yourself like a vampire? That would pass off as Severus!"

Remus chuckled. "I think being a werewolf is enough."

"He does look like a vampire though," Tonks insisted, wrinkling her nose. "He has that thing about him whenever he walks into a room."

"Like this you mean?" Remus walked backwards until he got to the kitchen entrance. He immediately straightened up his body, tightened his lips and narrowed his eyes. "I know the exact art of potion making. If you dare contradict my methods, the punishment will be most severe." He said in a terrifyingly deep voice.

Tonks shrieked in delight. "Oh _Remus_! That's brilliant!"

Remus strode around the room in a forbidding manner. "I know how to bottle fame and stopper death. I can create a most powerful potion that makes you fall madly in love with me," he growled, walking right up to Tonks and trapping her gently between his body and the kitchen work-tops.

Tonks giggled and flushed madly. "Oh more, please more!" she cried.

"Am I sexy now?" Remus breathed down her neck. He stepped backwards and grinned. "Of course, if I was really Snape, it would be most difficult to act sexy."

"Oh I know; I can't imagine Snape sexy!" Tonks giggled. "I think _you_ are though…" she trailed off and flushed.

Remus turned a deep shade of red. "I think we cast the cheering charm too strong." He said, giggling nervously.

"I rather think you did." A steely voice came from the entrance to the kitchen door.

Remus and Tonks froze and slowly looked towards the direction of the voice. There stood Severus Snape, his face grim and his lips pressed together. "Having fun?" he asked finally, with heavy sarcasm.

Tonks and Remus shared guilty glances before starting to laugh uncontrollably again.

"I'm glad my timely visit amuses you so." Severus muttered, staring as the pair fell down to the floor with mirth.

Tonks gave out a muffled snort and wiped her eyes. "S-sorry S-severus," she said, trying to stop laughing.

"Yes, really old chap, this must look very bad," Remus added, standing up and smirking. He held out a hand to Tonks and she slowly stood up.

Severus stared at them, seemingly not amused. Remus noticed something else lurking in his eyes though. Surely he didn't have a sense of humour after all?

Tonks let out another snort and Severus rolled his eyes, pulling out his wand.

"As much as I like to see you two make utter prats of yourselves, there are people waiting to use the kitchen so…" Severus muttered something under his breath and waved his wand. Remus and Tonks immediately sobered.

"Hello Remus," Arthur greeted lightly, walking around Severus and helping himself to some coffee. "Sorry I couldn't make it to the service, but duty calls, as you may well know…" he yawned loudly. He carried his mug back out of the room, sending a cheery wink in Remus' direction as he did so.

"Hello there, Lupin, Tonks." Fred and George greeted together with blatant smirks. They took off their new leather jackets and flung them over a couple of chairs.

"We needed a break from the shop," Fred announced.

"As all the young ones are still on their summer holidays, it's mayhem at the moment." George added.

"Peace and quiet is the order of the day."

"Seems to be no chance of that!" they finished together, winking at Tonks and Remus.

Tonks flushed.

"We were just…um…it's, well, what happened was…" Remus stuttered.

"We cast a cheering charm you see…" Tonks started to explain.

"We were rather miserable."

"…and I was the source of your newly found happiness," Severus drawled, his eyes glimmering with almost psychotic glee, "tantalisingly _ironic_."

"Nothing personal Severus." Remus muttered apologetically.

"I didn't know you liked theatre so much." Severus continued to taunt. He smiled unpleasantly around the room. "I'll be sleeping in my coffin if anyone needs me." He strode extravagantly out of the room, up the stairs and back out of the building.

"Pinch me. I'm dreaming. I think he actually told a joke there." Fred uttered in amazement.

"I assume you two _were _under the influence of the cheering charm?" George asked suddenly.

"Yes, we were!" Remus exclaimed, looking embarrassed. "You don't think we'd behave like that in ordinary circumstances?"

"Well, when you two are alone, anything probably happens." Fred hinted, grinning.

"There was the incident with the chocolate." George reminded them.

"What incident with the chocolate?" Tonks asked, widening her eyes with horror. Remus looked suspiciously at the twins.

"You weren't exactly alone in the living room yesterday afternoon." Fred said, shaking his head with mock-disappointment. "Ron told us all about it. Oh, the wonders of the extendable ears…"

"Smearing each other's foreheads with melting goo," George said, sighing deeply. "Such childishness…"

"Naughty I call it."

"You two seriously need to 'get it on' before you drive everybody mad."

Fred and George stood up and stretched. "We'd best go now." They said together, walking out of the room.

Remus and Tonks looked awkwardly at each other.

"Um…" Remus said after a moment's silence.

"I suppose we are being a bit noticeable." Tonks said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"Noticed for what?" Remus asked edgily, rummaging around with equipment on the worktops.

"People are beginning to notice what we have," Tonks explained, exasperation creeping into her voice.

Remus looked painfully at Tonks, a faint line creasing in between his eyebrows. "Tonks I – I don't think we should talk about this…"

"Oh my god, Remus! I don't think I can carry on like this!" Tonks exclaimed, stepping closer and touching his arm.

"Carry on like _what_?" Remus asked hoarsely, looking away.

"My heart Remus… my heart is hurting. Every time I lay on eyes on you, it thuds so hard – its pain. I can't deny it anymore. I _love_ you. And I know you love me, I can see it."

Remus took a shuddering breath. "Tonks…please…"

"I know you think that you're not good enough for me, but you're wrong."

"I'm _not_ good enough for you Tonks. I'm too poor, too old and far too dangerous." Remus told her firmly.

Tonks grabbed his arms and shook them hard. "That is absolutely ridiculous. That is a poor excuse to deny your love for someone. I'll change your mind." She grabbed the sides of his head and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

They both felt the tenderness, and all the denial, all the feelings that they had boiling over into intense passion. Remus pushed Tonks against the worktops and kissed her deeper. She let out deep sighs with every movement he made around her body with his hands, but when she whispered in his ears that she wanted every part of him, he stopped.

He pulled away, breathing deeply, shaking his head. "I can't Tonks. I'm sorry."

"Why?" Tonks demanded as the anger and hurt flashing across her face. "You want this as much as I do. I can tell just by the way you're looking at me now!"

"I've told you why and that reason should be good enough for you." Remus said, a touch of anger creeping into his voice too. "You can be with someone who is so much better than me. We can't let this happen, not ever. You'll end up getting hurt, and believe me, you're the last person who I want to hurt."

Tonks looked down at the floor, the tears streaming down her face.

Remus softened and stepped closer to her again. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"So am I." Tonks muttered, wiping her face roughly with her hands and stepping away from the counter. She laughed bitterly. "That's the last time I ever say what I think."

"You'll thank me for this someday, believe me."

"No I won't. I'm not giving up on us."

"Tonks!" Remus raised his voice at her. "Get over me! Please."

He watched as her blue and pink hair slowly turned into a mousy brown. "I can't," she whispered, walking out of the room.

The End?

**- I know that had a sad ending, but it was the way things went, didn't it? Please let me know what you think. If anyone would like to see the follow-up to this – i.e. the things that happened after that scene in the hospital, let me know! Also planning some 'missing scenes' for Snape too. You can probably tell I'm a Snape fan – I have many conspiracy theories about him! -**


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